Tale of The Ten Martyrs
The year 800AT, after 10 years of peace due to the unofficial agreement of a cease fire from both capitals, war threatens to ravage the landscape once more.. and both sides whine and bicker over minuscule disagreements. Petty squabbles turn to raids and skirmishes, threats turn to violence. The Empire decides that the killing of a trade caravan in Empire territory is more than adequate reason to declare open conflict by marching on the Hallow Fields. ---- The Empire has been on the offensive for six months, pushing forward at the Hallow Fields and making some ground on Royalist lands. King Rhaess I of Camdoria has been assassinated by a group of rogues who snuck into his camp at Haverly to insight unrest in the war camp against Fendor. The King's son,Prince Rhaess II is summoned from battle at the Hallow Wall by the Church of Camdoria to assume his place on the throne. Imperial spies based in New Versano send word back to Arlessa on the news, and the likely replacement. The Steward responds with a strike force of two hundred cavalry assembled to intercept him and bring the kingdom to chaos. If they can remove the heir before he assumes the throne, Camdoria will be leaderless for a time, giving Empire advantage to the front being fought on the Hallow fields as well as the defensive operations at Fendor. They manage to reach Rhaess II and his bodyguard of fifty soldiers in a narrow knoll. As the front line disembark and demand the Prince come forward, Ten men of the Prince's honour guard elect to stay behind and hold off the enemy as long as possible while the rest escape to a nearby fort until help arrives. The Prince is reluctant, not wanting a single soldier to lay down their life for his. The Prince decides to negotiate with the Imperials, stepping forward with just his shield. As he walks toward the cavalry, a hail of arrows are loosed. The honour guard rush forward, as the rear guard pull the injured Prince behind their shield wall. A few cavalry and the dismounted soldiers charge to finish the job. The small party of ten consists of Toer and Nyseld the battle mages from New Versano, and a cleric named Osath from Brannick. Cloith, Facov and Loez the paladins and Asiem, Rodek, and Ivero the champions. Finally, Caedric, the legendary ranger of Camdoria who has sworn an oath to protect the Prince until death. The Cavalry charge, everyone assuming stance and preparing for the fight. Toer and Nyseld summon a massive gust of wind at the horses, sending them hurling backward into eachother. The champions each peel off in a direction, with at least six-to-one odds, cutting down as many as they could. Loez and Facov both chant spells to heal the champions as Cloith grabs her hammer and rushes forward toward a charging horse. Caedric nocks three arrows at once, a skilled he learned training with the Hunters at New Versano. He balances, breathes and looses at Asiem, hitting two of the soldiers he was fighting. Asiem doesn't miss a beat, decapitating another Imperial and ramming his claymore through yet another. As the rest of the forces moved quickly to the fort, the ten honour guard step up a notch, the champions separating even further, taking on more soldiers at once, with 10 to 1 odds. Preventing the cavalry from charging the retreat. Ivero is cut down as he takes an arrow from a horse archer to the side of the knee, unable to move, he is surrounded, and whilst slaying four further soldiers, he is slain with many cuts from the circling soldiers. Loez sees this, screaming, she rushes to his body, caving an imperial's face in with her mace and taking the attention of every soldier he was fighting. She whirls her mace in fury, clubbing a further two to death. The battle lasted for two hours before many of the honour guard were killed. Caedric, an injured Toer, Cloith and Rodek where all that remained. Rodek was stuck off by himself, fighting both nine Imperials, and exhaustion. They were taunting him, poking at him with their blades as he battled them away with the little strength he had left. Cloith was holding off another six Imperials, her shield filled with dents and gouges. She noticed Rodek go down in a flurry of sword blows - her face twisting in agony as the memories of her affections for him as a kid came flooding back to he, the years of training they'd had together prior to her becoming a Paladin. She sniffed back tears as she fought her way toward him, slumping over as the Imperials began surrounding the remaining three champions. Dust rose as the swarm of Imperials closed in on the remaining few. The Imperials had been killed to only fifty soldiers, who then retreated when they saw Royalist reinforcements coming down the defile. The damage had been done. All ten of the champions had fallen for the Prince's life. Rhaess II presided over each funeral of the slain and decreed that the section of road was to be called the Martyrs Path in honour of those lost. He then travels back to New Versano where his coronation was to be held.